Timing device for filled-can-closing machine



E. G. MASON TIMING DEVICE FOR FILLED CAN CLOSING MACHINES Sept; 11, 1923;

Filed Feb. 13 1922 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 E. G. MASON TIMING DEVICE FOR FILLED CAN CLOSINGMACHINES Spt. 11;; 1923;

Filed Feb. 13, 1922 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 awn/tor Sept 11, 1923. 1,467,442

E. G. MASON v 'TIIHNG DEVICE FOR FILLED CAN CLOSING MACHINES Filed Feb. 13, 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 I I L 1 I/IF Q g F L Patented Sept. 11, 1923.

UNITED s r-r EUGENE G. MAsON, OF WAsH'INGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, AssIGNOR T0 oON- TINENTAL cAN COMPANY, me, 035 sYnAoUsE, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

TIMING DEVICE FOR FILLED-GAN-CLOSING MACHINE. Z

T 0 all whom a may concern:

Be it known that I, EUGENE G. MAsoN, a citizen of the United States, residino at Washington, in the District of Colum bia, have invented. certain new and useful Improvements in Timing Devices for Filled- Can-Closing Machines, of which the. following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing and to the figures of reference marked thereon.

The invention relates to new and. useful improvements in timing devices for receiving cans fed promiscuously thereto and for delivering the same 'at predetermined timed intervals to a machine Operating thereon, and more particularly to timing devices adapted to receive filled cans and deliver the same toa closing machine or an assembling mechanisrnwhich applies the covers. thereto and in turn delivers the cans with the applied covers to the closing machine.

An object of. the invention is to provide a device of the above character wherein the supporting means for the cansv is formed with a plurality of can supporting sections capable of being moved vertically for positioning the cans for timing.-

A still furtherobject of the invention is to provide a timing device of theabove character wherein each movable section is adapted to receive a single can and wherein the can on one section is timed by engagement with'the edge of the following section.

These and other objects will in part be obvious and will in part be hereinafter more fully disclosed.

In the drawings which show by way of illustration one embodiment of theinvention: 1 I

Figure l is a plan View of a portion of a machine having my improvements applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 22 OfFig.1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional View on the line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a development of a portion of the cam for lowering the sections of the support to bring about a timing-of the cans.

The invention consists broadly in a timing device which is adapted to receive cans promiscuously, either'from a filling machine or any source of supply, and this timing Application filed February 13,1922. Serial No. 536,232.

devicefeeds the cans forward, and'atthe same time moves them laterally and retards the cans so as .to place them against timing surfaces which deliver the cans at predetermined intervals to the assembling mechanism of a closing machine. The machine also preferably includes a series of timing pockets in which the cans-are first placed for timing and from which they are moved as the cans progress outwardly and rearwardly into engagement with the timing members Which are spaced so as to deliver the cans at proper intervals to the assembling mechanism. Associated with these pockets is means, which in effect, closes and Opens the pockets in succession in proper timing so that when a filled can is presented to one'of the pockets-it is held from sudden movement into the pocket and is caused to gradually enter the pocket as it opens. Associated with said timing element and controlling means are yielding devices which engage the cans for forcing the cans port continues its travel, the cans are forced out of the pockets and the section support into the pockets as they open. As thesupmy improved timing device consists of a I rotating table lon which the cans aredelivered from a rotating disk 2, and the rotating disk 2 receives the cans' fromthe filling machine or other source of supply.

The cansare in turn delivered by the rotating table 1 on to the assembling turret 3. This assembling turret is. of the ;con-

struction shown in the patent granted to A. L. Kronquest and. John C. Taliaferro,

August 3, 1920, Number:1,3t8,650, and has been shown only in a fragmentary way in the drawings. The turret has a series of half-molds 4 which receive the filled cans and deliver the same to the closing machine.

The rotating table or .support'l is prefcarries the table 1. Said gear wheel is bolted to the traveling support by suitable bolts 12. Secured to this rotating support 11 1s a timing member 13, which timing member is provided with a series of segmental pockets 14. These pockets are curved to conform substantially to the curvature of the cans being timed. Said timing member is provided with six pockets as illustrated in the drawings. It will be understood of course, that this number of timing pockets may be increased or decreased without departing from the spirit of the invention. Associated with this timing device 13 is a controlling disk 15. Said controlling disk 15 operates in effect to close the pockets in the timing device 13 and to gradually open the pockets so as to permit the cans to enter the pockets under a restrained movement and this prevents any sudden movement or jerking of the can which would be likely to cause spilling. This disk 15 is fixed to a sleeve 16 which extends centrally through the rotating support and carries a gear wheel 17 which meshes with a gear wheel 18 carried by the shaft 7. The gear wheels 9 and 18 are so timed as to give a differential movement to the timing disk 13 and the controlling disk 15. Said controlling disk is provided with the same number of similar shaped segmental pockets as the timin disks. Said pockets are indicated at 19.

Yielding means is provided for forcing the cans into their respective pockets. The cans pass between the guide rails 20 and 21 as shown in Fig. 1 on to the traveling support 1. As the cans move forward, it will be noted that the pocket is substantially closed into which a can is to be timed, and said cans are carried against the yielding gravity fingers 22. These yielding gravity fingers yieldingly force the cans against the controlling disk and the controlling disk moving at a different speed from the timing member, causes the pocket to open and the can to gradually enter the timing pocket.

This timing disk with the controlling means for gradually entering a can into the segmental pocket for timing the same, is shown and described more fully in the application of John Coyle, Serial Number 437,214, filed January 14, 1921, and per se is not my invention. My invention has to do particularly with the means for timing a can into the assembling turret which has been timed by these segmental pockets of the Coyle structure, In order to accomplish this, I have formed the rotating support or table 1 with a plurality of segmental sections which are indicated at 23 in the drawings. The rotating support 11 has a central circular hub 24 which is of a diameter slightly less than the extreme inner diameter of the timing member 13. The segmental sections of the table are curved at their inner portions to conform to the curvature of said hub. The sections are divided by radial lines 25 and the outer edgesof the sections are curved so as to form a complete circle. The rotating support 11 has strengthened portions 26 for each segmental section of the support, and these strengthened portions are provided with vertically arranged sleeves or sockets 27. Each segmental section 23 is provided with a standard 28 which is adapted to slide freely in the sleeve or socket portion 27.

possibly one-quarter of an inch. Each se'c tion is provided with a depending portion 29 which carries a stub shaft 30 in which is mounted a roller 31. This roller 31 runs on a cam bar 32 carried by a portion of the main frame. This cam bar is circular. In Fig, 4 of the drawings, I have shown a development of the cam bar 32. Said cam bar has a horizontal section 33 on which the roller 31 runs, and when said roller is running on this horizontal section, the segmental section 23 supported thereby is at its extreme upper or normal height and is so disposed as to receive the cans from the disk 2. As the rotating support travels and after the can has been fully seated in the timing pocket of the timing member 13, then the roller runs down the inclined portion from A to B- of the cam bar 32. This covers a portion of substantially fifteen degrees of the circular travel of the roller 31. When the roller reaches the point B, it then travels along the horizontal section 34 of the cam bar. When the roller has traveled through a distance of substantially forty-five degrees, then it passes down another section from C to D of about fifteen degrees, which brings the roller to its lowest level, along which it travels until it reaches the point E, when the cam bar is shaped so as to quickly raise the segmental section to its normal or extreme upper position. In Fig. 1 of the drawings, I have shown a packing device 35 which is carried by a rod 36 which is reciprocated and also oscillated by suit-able mechanism shown and described in the Coyle application, and forming no part of the pres ent invention. It will be noted, however, that the supporting section for the can is not The segmental section has a limited up and down movement of lowered until the can reaches substantially this point. The cam bar is shown in dotted lines in Fig. l and the rollers which run thereon. I have also indicated by the lines A, B, C, D and E, the location of the inclines which shift the segmental sect-ions.

The operation of my device is as follows. The cans received from the delivering disk 2 are first placed in the segmental pockets I clannas new and desire to secure by in the timing member 13 by the yielding devices forcing the cans toward thetiming member and the controlling disk gradually opening the pockets to let the cans in. This insures a very gradual movement of the cans without any jerking or abrupt movements thereof. When the point is reached where the roller passes down the incline from A to B, then the section of the traveling support which carries the can, and on which there is only one can, lowers relative to the section immediately following the same. The can is then brought into contact with the guide rail 37 and the movable guide 38 which controls the no-can, no-can end delivering mechanism. The :no-can no-can-end feeding mechanism is of the character shown inthe patent to .Kronquest and Taliaferro, No. 1,348,650, dated August 3, 1920. The guide rail 37 is stationary and forces the can out of the segmental pocket. This guide rail together with theguiding portion 38 also slightly retards the forward movement of the can andcarries the can back against the edge 39 of the immediately following segmental section 23. The can is indicated at M in Fig. 3, and it will be noted that the can is brought back against the forward edge of the next segment 23. This edge serves as atiming means for the can.. As the support continues to travel, the'can is forced outwardly along this edge of the next following segment. When the point. C is reached, then the next following segment has also reached the point A and begins to lower. Inorder to keep theedge 39exposed, the segment carrying the can just described will also lower from the point C to the point-D, so

that the edge remains exposed untilthe can has been forced oif from the rotating sup..- port into the assembling turret or a closing machine. When the can is entirely free from the segment, then the point E is reached by the roller, and the segment is quickly raised to its normal position read to receive another can.

From the above it will be apparent that I have provided a timing means wherein the supports for the cans which travel with the cans serve to time the cans on the next advance support. This makes a very simple arrangement and one wherein there is little liability of spilling the contents of the cans, as the can is moved while traveling outwardly from its timing pocket against the 'edge' of the immediately following support.

In other words, all the timing and supporting'parts travel with the filled can. It is obvious that minor changes in the details of construction and the arrangement of the parts may be made without depart-,

ing fromithespirit of the invention as set V 'forthin the appended claims.

ing with said timing element for placing a can against said exposed edge, and means whereby successive exposed edges are caused todischargethe cans from said timing element at predetermined timed intervals. 1

; 2. Av timing device for cans including in combination a rotating timing element having a plurality of vertically movable segments, means for lowering said segments in succession to expose the advance edge of a following segment, means cooperatingv with said timing element for placing a can against the exposed edge of a segment, and

means whereby said exposed edges are caused to discharge the cans from said r0-, tating element at predetermined timed in tervals.

' v 3, A timing device for cans "including in combination a continuously moving timing element having a plurality of vertically movable sections, means for lowering the sections in succession to expose the advance edge of the following section, means cooperating with said timing element for receiving the cans at random and for placing one can ineach section, and means whereby the exposed edges of the sections are caused to discharge the cansfrom the timingelement at predetermined timed intervals.

i. A timing device for cansincluding in combination a continuously rotating tim- (ing element having a plurality of vertically movable segments placed side by side, means for lower ng the segments in succession to expose the advance edge of a following seg- ,ment, means cooperating-with the timing element for receiving the cans at random and placing one can oneach segment,

and meanswhereby said exposed edges are I caused to discharge the cans from the timing element at predetermined timed intervals.

5. A timing device for cans including in combinaiton a continuously rotating timing eeiment having a plurality of vertically movable segments", arranged side by side, means for lowering the segments in succession to expose the advance edge of a following segment,a disk rotating :with said timing element nd having a segmental pocket for each segment, means for receiving the cans at random and for placing the same in said segmental pockets, means for 'moving the cans in succession from. said pockets on to the segmentsand against :the exposed edgeot a following segmentg' an'd means for dischargingthe cans in succession from said timing element while said cans are in contact with the respective exposed edges.

6. A timing device for cans including in combination a continuously rotating memsections in succession to expose the advance edge of a following section, 'Ineans for placing the cans on said tim ng element when said sectlons are all in normal raised position, means for spacing said cans and placing one can on each section, and means for discharging the cans from the timing element.

8. A timing device for cans inclu'ding'in combination a continuously rota-ting" support having a plurality of vertically movable segments, means for raising and vlowering said segments in succession, means for placing the cans atrandom onlsa'id segments when said segments are in raised position, means for spacing and placing the cans, one on each segment, while the support is rotating, means for inoving-the cans outwardly and rearwardly on the segments until the can makes contact with the exposed edge of a following segment, and means whereby said exposed edge discharges the can from the timing element,

combination a continuously rotating support having a plural ty of segments arranged side by side, a circular cam track,

aroller carried by each segment and adapted to engage said cam track, said cam track being shaped so as toraise and lower said segments in succession, means for placing the cans atrandom on said: rotating support when said segments are in raised position, means-for spacing and placing one can on each segment, means forvmoving a can outwardly and rearwardly for causing the same to engage the exposed edge of a following segment, and means whereby said exposed edgeoperates to discharge the cans from the t1mi'ng'elem'ent.- 1

=10. A--t1m1ng-=dev1ce for cans 1ncluding in combination a continuously rota-ting sup port having a plurality of segments arranged side-by Side, a circular cam bracket, a roller carried by each segment and adapted to engage said cam bracket, said cam bracket being shaped so s to raise and lower said out of a pocket on to a segment and rearwardly into engagement with the exposed edge of a following segment, and means whereby said exposed edge discharges the cansfrom the timing element. I

11. A- timing device for cans including in combination a. continuously rotating support, 'adisk at the center thereof having a plurality of segmental pockets, said support being divided into movable segments,

one for each pocket, means for raising and lowering the segments in succession as the support rotates, means associated with said segment associated with the pocket, and

rearwardly into contact with the exposed the segments and to cause said exposed edge to discharge the cans from the timing element.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signa- EUGENE Gr. MASON.

edgeof a following segment, said means operating to move the cans outwardly on to 

